154 / 1070
~oy_al Commentariet.
BooK
V.
Every líland was by order of the
Inca,
afligned to fuch and fuch Provinces, and
if rhe Iíland were very large, then two or three of them divided the foilage, the
which they laid up
in
feparate heaps, that fo one Province might not encroach
on the proportion allotted m che ot~er ; and when they cal?e to make their Di–
vifion to particular Perfons, and Ne1ghhours, they then we1ghed and íhared out
to every Man the quantity he was to receive; and ic was felony for any man to
take more than whac belonged co him, or to rob or íl:eal it from che ground of his
Neighbour, for in regard that every man had as muchas was nece{Iary for his
own Lands,- the taking a greater quancicy than what belohged to him, was judged
a Crime, and a high offence; for that chis forc of Birds dun_g was eíl:eemed pre–
tious, beirig the beft improvement and manure for·Land in the World.
Howfoever
in
other pares of that Coaíl, and in the Low Countries of
Arica,
'Atiquip_a, Villacori, Malla
and
Chillca,
and other Vallies, they dung their grbunds
with che Heads of a fmall
fifh ,
like our Pilchards, and with no other foilage.
The Natives ofthefe Countries which we have named, and others under che fame
Climate, live with great labour ani:i toil, where they ~an neither water their
Grounds with ílreams from che Springs or Fountains, nor yec with che Rain or
Dews from Heaven : For it is a certain truth, that (or the fpace of feven hundred
Leagues along· that Coaíl: it did never rain, nor are there
in
all that traét of Land
füeams, or places for water, che whole Councrey being exceedingly hot,
dry,
and
noching almoíl: bue fand; for which reafon the Natives endeavouring to moiíl:en
their grounds, fo as to make them capable to yield
M"!J.:.,
.they approach as near
to the .Sea, as they are able, where they turn aíide, and caíl: away the Sand which
lies upon the furface
1
and dig clown as deep as a Man's Body is
in
lengrh, and
fometimes twice as deep, uncill, having paífed che Sand , they come to fuch a
forc of Earth as is able to bear the weight of Water, which places rhe
Spaniards
call
Hoytt-1,
or Vaulrs; andbeing ofdifferent proporrions, fome greater, and fome
]eífer; fo1,,1.1e are noc capacious enough to receive above half a mea
fu
re of Seed–
corn, orhers again are fo large as to receive three or four meafures of Seed :
In
thefe places they neither plow, nor reap, becaufe they rather fec than
fow,
plan–
ting their grane of
M ap:,
at an egua! difiance one from tbe other ; and in the hales
or furrows which chey make; they caíl: three or fou¡ grains of
.May-t-,
with a
few
Pilchards Heads; which being all che dung they ufe, and which
is
onely, as they
fay, proficable in thac foil, they expeét their Harvefl: ac .ics due feafon. And co
fee howDivine Providence cakech care of all Creatures, for thacneicher che
Jn–
dia1t1
may want that Manure, which onely makes their Land fruirfulJ, nor the
Birds of che Iílands rheir food, there are fuch qu:intities of Pilchards·caír up
by
the Sea at chofe feafons, as are not oneJyfufficient for the Food ofMen, and Birds,
and for dunging the Earth, bue even to Jade many Ships , if occafion íhouJd re–
quire:
lt
is faid, chat chis Fifh is chafed afhore by fome Dolphins, or greater
Fifh;
be it by whac means it will, rhe advancage is greac, and che Providence of
God isadmirable ·in chefe his Bleflingscowards his poor Creacures. Who was rhe
firíl: Inventer of chis manner of planring in boles wich the Heads of Pilchards, is
uncerrain; we may rather attribure it
to
Neceflicy, which is che Mother of Inge–
nuity; for in regard, as we have faid, thac there is great wanc of Bread in all pares
of
Peru,
che fame Underfl:anding which in fome parts taughc chem to plant cheir
Ma_y{,
in boles, che fame alfo infl-ruél:ed them to make their Allies in tlie pares of
Co{.co,
and by this means every one fowing for his own mainrenance, and not to
fell, ali People enjoyed fufficient for their füpporr, never any fcardty or famine
having been known in that Land.
CHA
f.